Barrel-catch device for revolvers



D. B. WESSON.

BARREL GAT'GH DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS. No. 360,268. Patented Ma.1-.29, 1887.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL B. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BARREL-CATCH DEVI CE FOR REVOLVERS.

EPECIPIGATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,263, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed January 1'1, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. WEssoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barrel Oatch Devices for Revolvers, of which the following is a specifr cation.

Thisinvention relates to revolving firearms, and pertains to improvements'in the barrelcatch devices thereof; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the devices for operating the catchbolt, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views, somewhat enlarged, of the top of a revolving firearm, showing portions of the barrel and frame thereof, having applied thereto barrel-catch devices embodying my improvements, the cover of the chamber in which the barrelcatch mechanism is located being removed to more clearly show those parts, Fig. 1 showing the catch devices in a position of engagement with the catch-post, which is shown in section in said figures, and Fig. 2 showing said devices in a position of disengagement from the post. Fig. 3 is an end view of the recoil-plate of the arm, showing on its upper edge the said catch-post. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cover of the above-mentioned chamber, in which the barrel-catch devices are located.

In the drawings, 3 indicates that'part of the frame of the firearm to which the barrel 4 is hinged in the usual manner, whereby the arm is opened and closed to insert and remove the cylinder thereof, said barrel having the usual rearwardly-proj ecting strap, 5, on its rear end, which extends over the cylinder of the arm, the rear end of which strap is provided with a perforation through it to receive the upwardlyprojecting catch-post 6 on the top of the frame 3, directly over the upper edge of the recoilplate 7 of the arm, said post being adapted to project slightly above the upper side of the strap 5, and in the extreme end of said post is formed the usual rear sight-notch, z. The opposite edges of said catch-post 6 have therein the catch-notches so 00, to receive therein the ends of the catch-levers,hereinbelow described.

The said strap-extension 5 on the end of the barrel 4 has its outer side chambered and its edges opposite said chamber slotted, to provide for the reception in said strap of two catchlevers, 8. Each of said levers has a circular projecting portion of its edge extending 1ater ally beyond the edge of the strap 5 when occupying their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1, and they are hinged together at a, and are capable of a vibratory motion on their pivot in the plane of the top of the strap 5. The rear ends of said catchlevers extend rearwardly as far as the rear side of the catchpost 6.

Between the ends of the catch-levers, opposite the end of the barrel 4, a U-shaped spring, 9, is placed in the end of said chamber, and its free ends engage with the opposite inner edges of said catch-levers, as shown in Fig. 1,

to swing them on their pivot and cause the rear ends of said levers to engagein the notches x on the opposite edges of the catch-post 6. The edges of the catch-levers 8, which are brought into engagement with the notches in the catch-post, as aforesaid, are formed to correspond with the form of'said notches a; in the catch-post, and when brought into engagement with the latter, the catch-levers being so held by the spring 9, a perfectly rigid connection is made between the end of the strap 5 and that part of the arm at and in the. rear of the catch-post 6.

The cover 10 of the chamber in the strap 5 is shown in plan view in Fig. 4, and has on its edges projections, as shown, which engage in grooves in the borders of said chamber, said cover being easily put into the top of the chamber when the strap 5 is opened up away from the post 6, and is then'slid into place by pushing it toward the barrel 4. Said cover securely holds the devices within said chanr her and protects them from any dirt that might hinder their proper operation.

As aforesaid, Fig. 1 shows the position of the barrel-catch levers 8 when the barrelcatch devices are engaged with the post 6. To open the arm to remove the cylinder, or to load it, the said projecting edges of the catchlevers 8 are pressed inwardly, bringing them to the position shown in Fig. 2, wherein their ends are shown to be swung outwardly away from said post, leaving the arm free to be opened when the levers are left free to be open may be omitted, and that the remaining lever may be pivoted in one of. the said slots in the edge of the strap, a suitable spring being applied behind one end of the lever; and it is also obvious that by cutting the slots in which i the catch lever or levers operate transversely through the strap 5, leaving the top thereof intact, the cover 10 would not be needed.

What I claim as my invention is 1. Barrel-catch mechanism for fire-arms,con sisting of a strap extending rearwardly from the end of the barrel, having a-perforation through it near its end, and a chamber therein having slots through its opposite edges, combined with two catch-levers hinged in said chamber, and having their edges extending through said slots beyond the edges of said strap, and their rear ends extending toward the rear end of said strap, a spring acting between said levers to swing their rear ends toward each other, and a catch-post on the frame of the arm entering the perforation in said strap between the ends of said levers, having notches in its edges, in which said catch-levers engage, substantially as set forth.

2. Barrel-catch mechanism for fire-arms, consisting of the combination, with a catch-post fixed on the frame thereof having a notch in one or both of its edges, of aperforated strap extending from the barrel rearwardly capable of engaging with said post, one or more catchlevers pivoted in said strap and capable of a vibratory motion therein in the plane of the outer side thereof and of engaging with said catch-post, and a spring acting to swing said lever or levers against said post, substantially as set forth.

I DANIEL l3. WESSON.

Witnesses: 1

WM. H. OHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN; 

